Over the past five years, we have learned a lot about cats and their relationship to human language: for example, we have known since 2019 that these little felines know their names, and since 2022, the names of “their” humans and other cats, they are used to spending time with. Today, a new step has just been reached: according to a study whose results have been published in Scientific reports, “cats learn to associate pictures and words faster than babies do” noticed Science in a general public article.
For Saho Takagi of Azabu University in Japan, who participated in this work, it means that “Cats pay attention to what we say in everyday life, and they try to understand us – more than we realize.”
To reach this conclusion, the researcher and her colleagues trained 31 adult cats to learn similar to babies. Each cat, placed in front of a screen, looked at an image broadcast for nine seconds while hearing a message recorded by their master saying the same word four times: “keraru” for a blue and white unicorn , “parumo” for a red sun. The lesson was repeated several times. The cat received no reward – pet or food – for its participation.
Two lessons in nine seconds
Then he had to see the same pictures, but this time the spoken words were sometimes wrong. By analyzing the animal’s response, the researchers were able to deduce whether the animal actually made a connection between a picture and a name.
“Surprisingly, the vast majority of cats learned each word-picture association after just two nine-second lessons. Most 14 month olds need four fifteen second lessons where the words are repeated 7 times, not 4″, noticed Science.
Interviewed by American magazine, language development specialist Janet Werker qualifies the comparison, recalling that children’s tests are more difficult: words of three syllables pronounced in an exaggerated way by their master for cats, words of one syllable spoken at normal speed by voices that are not known to babies.
However, this work could reassure cat owners. Yes, their furry companions may be interested in their sweet words.
